Another crochet doily !!

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post !! :) I am so sorry that I am not able to reply personally to your mails . I have been pathetic in replying this month and even the ones with new year wishes are pending for reply :(  I feel bad because I like replying to each one of you who have taken some time off their busy schedule to take a look at my blog . I hope you will write me off  for this task :) I will correct it from this time onwards .

I made this peacock feather doily from a Japanese pattern that I found on Pinterest . It measures 26 inches across and is crocheted with 2 .75 mm hook and Anchor knitting cotton . I guess the pattern is not free so I am not propagating the link further . I added white pearls at the last round but they do not like the places allocated to them so they are fussy to show their faces  :)

Raj got me this adjustable iPad floor stand . It's the best thing I have got since most of my current cross stitching projects are from digital magazine issues . It has got charging and reading lamp features too. I don't know the website he ordered from, its a product of Pyleaudio . This was a surprise gift from him ! :) I hope he doesn't cut down my Bday gift next month .

 

I am planning for a giveaway very soon. My blogaversary was long back . I will either host(hopefully , this clause is needed considering my erratic blogging schedule) a giveaway on my Bday or 100th post . This is my 97th post :)

Have a happy and crafty day !!
Preeti


 

The twin sisters together !! :)

Finally, I made this Starburst doily which was supposed to give company to my PK doily I posted about here in April 2013. I started this doily long ago but completed few days back . So , after a long time,  the twin sisters make an appearance together. Its funny that this doily took almost 9 months after I made the first one.......lol :)

 It measures 24 inches across and is crocheted with size 10 thread and 1.75mm hook . It is a free pattern available here

I gave this rocking horse gift to Raj on one of the Valentine's day which he kept in his office earlier. The girl is me and the guy is Raj . Isn't that a cute one? :)

I have kept both the doilies on a pair of round corner tables standing dovetailed in a cozy corner of my bedroom ;) They are constructed in that way ......he......he :)

 

 

Don't worry, the photos are not from my bedroom corner. I don't want to show the mess of electric wires and cobwebs in the corner and after cleaning these tables for pictures, my energy levels were down to do any corner cleaning :)

Interestingly, I have become a little crochet conscious and lost my confidence in hooking something new and challenging because my hand got so much used to a small needle and cross stitching . To do the icebreaking, I am doing all sorts of boring work like weaving-in and blocking etc . But that in a way helped me complete my crochet WIPs :)

Does my doily remind you about the springtime ? :)

Have a nice day !
Preeti :)

 

2014 Turtle Trot January update !!

Hope you all have kick started your new year with lots of planning :) I don’t make any resolutions because they remind me to do some more tasks…he..he….My plans, if set for weekends, fail most of the time . So, forget about planning for entire year :)

But yes, my Turtle Trot cross stitch SAL keeps a check on my crochetoholism with some stitching planned for entire year. To know about this SAL, click here and to know about my planned projects, click here.

By 10th of every month, we show progress on our 10 chosen projects .  This time I will put only the progress images to keep the number of images less and will number those in the right order as per my turtle trot 2014 page on top menu bar so that you may see and make out how wonderful my teeny-weeny stitches will look when done :)

Status as of now…….

1. Ladybird fairy by Joan Elliott 

Started new

2. Jungle Japes (height chart) by Durene Jones

Started new

3. Easter Chicks by Belle & Boo

Started new

4. Happy Days by Felicity Hall
The original design have a rustic finish but I am no fan of such things, so I decided to make it bright . It is on 11 count aida fabric done with 6 strands . Both Easter chicks (the top image) and this one are on cream colored fabric which isn't much visible in images .

Started new

5. Blue tit by Lesley Teare

Started new

6. Glamour puss by Margaret Sherry
I did a cross stitch marathon on these and made some mistakes too. Sorry the picture is blur but I am glad it hides my mistakes ;)

Started new

7. Humming Bird Quartet by Frankie Buckley

8. Hydrangea by Barbara Baatz Hillman

9. Floral Border from Variegated floral border by Leisure arts

10. Nature’s charm by Dimensions

From next month, I will show the before and after both images . I managed to stitch on all 8 pieces and only very few stitches on the last 2 projects . Now I am back to crocheting for at least 1 week .

Have a nice weekend!!
Preeti :)


 

Happy new year and 2014 Turtle Trot !! :)

Greetings to all my new and existing blogger friends !! :)

Wish you all a wonderful new year 2014 !!

Year 2013 has been full of craftiness and I look forward to cherish this crafty bond with all of you . I am enjoying glimpses of 2013 through your blogs but unfortunately I could not prepare any such blogpost .  I wish you a great year full of happy crafty days and lovely family times :)

I have added my Turtle Trot 2014 (a SAL for cross stitching ) projects page in the top menu bar. You may click on the page or click here to know about my projects for year 2014. To know more about this SAL, visit bap-attack blog here .

Thanks for the lovely time and encouragement from all of you!!

Happy new year!!
Preeti :)

Just to say 'hi' !!! :)

Just popped in to say, I am alive!! Hope you all remember me :)  I missed you all :(

Well things weren’t going good at my side . You can skip my ‘ Ram Kahani’(tale of woe) and directly view the pics and of course say a big ‘Hi’ to me….I need it very much from you.

I had been down with severe allergic cough. Every time I tried looking at my iPad to read blogs, I found myself terribly barking at it. No, nothing to do with your posts…ha....ha..…I did that to whoever was around me including furniture and walls with watery eyes . Sounds eeew ? I did put hands on mouth (mine, ofcourse) while coughing and it enhanced the sonic levels to higher decibels…he….he….. It seemed as if it wasn’t going to end at all . If that wasn’t enough, I developed a severe upper-left back pain piercing through to the front which made coughing even more painful . When I approached physiotherapist and a follow up with my ENT doc, they thought I am overreacting and a cough cannot cause that much of pain. Unwittingly, she wrote a painkiller. Later, I understood that I got a sprain while lifting the center table all alone…..that’s not a new task , I do that daily. But some days are unlucky :(
Fine , I carried on with my day-to-day activities with Raj taking some of the workload. I already suffer from plantar fasciitis and lower back pain. These pains took a backseat and I failed to feel them.
During this time my brother visited me for a day with mom to drop her at my place . She will be staying with me for few months here . Sure , I was glad and was looking forward to it but I shamelessly told him that I can cook only once a day and ordered food from outside .

Everybody told me that I do not sit properly while doing my needlework and that’s why the pain is there , so I was asked to take a break from it. It is difficult to tell them that ‘taking a break’ means doing needlework only. I wasn’t asked to stop my daily household chores though..…that’s not fair, isn’t it?  Anyways, I stood up for my rights and took two days off from household work .
Slowly the cough subsided and the pain, only a bit when one of our family friend visited us for couple of days with his daughter….that meant more cooking playing the host. All went well without any disaster. When the sprain subsided, my perennial pains started rejoicing and took control over the body who felt neglected for many days . I felt back at home with them :) the fact that I am with these pains ensures that I am normal and no new pain is attacking me .

Raj’s Birthday was on 29th Nov and Anshita’s on 1st Dec. :) I could not make anything for them other than preparing the food they like . Anshita made this quilling card for Raj...…her first ever quilling project. Isn’t it sweet? :)

We planned a lunch party on Anshita’s Birthday for her friends but unfortunately she got very high fever a day before her party :( Sadly, we cancelled the party and were visiting the doctor on her Birthday. We then arranged her party again on next Sunday which her friends enjoyed a lot. At the restaurant, we booked table for 15 of us . Thankfully, they gave us an enclosed space as the girls turned it as a play area. After some time , we elders (6 of us) turned deaf and the girls had a great fun time!!! :)) Back home , they played some games.
Some pics…..

They all wanted to sit on a single sofa

and they all came tumbling down :)))

After this I thought of writing a post this week but Anshita again caught throat pain and fever and I was busy looking after her. She is fine now and hopefully will be doing fine in coming week.

I took time off this weekend to write the post. Not only was I away from blog land but also I was away from needlework for entire one month..….that is quite long for me since I started an year ago.

I hope I will continue at least being in touch with you all but may be for another month I will be on and off from blog land as some medical care is planned for my mother this entire month.

Nice talking to you after a while :)
Keep in touch!
Preeti

 

Turtle Trot 2013 SAL November update!

It is time for Turtle Trot 2013 SAL update . Every 13th of the month we share the progress on our chosen 13 projects for this SAL . See here to know about my 13 projects. To read about and sign up for this SAL , visit BAP Attack blog.

• Humming Bird Quartet by Frankie Buckley, Leisure arts.

 

Chart

 

Before

After : Stitched on the right side

•  Floral border from Variegated floral border, Leisure arts

Chart

Before

After : stitched two more flowers

• Cross stitch blooms by Barbara Baatz Hillman, Leisure arts.

Chart

Before

After : Stitched on right and bottom

 

• 'Hi Mom' from 100 more Lovable pets by Linda Gillum, Leisure arts

Completed

More pictures here

• Stacked teacups from Dimensions

Completed

More pictures here

Have a nice day!
Preeti

 

A cross stitch finish !!! :))

Yay!! I have a cross stitch finish to share with you all :) Well, the 'yay' is just to add a bit of enthusiasm in displaying, as such, this should have been completed long back .

This one was a part of my Turtle Trot SAL projects . It is stitched on 14 count white aida fabric and the stitched portion measures 12’’ x 8’’ . I still need to wash and frame it . The original design had a caption too which I decided to drop. I just had a chart in DMC codes which I converted to nearest matching Anchor shades . The design is supposed to be stitched on a black aida fabric but I did it on a white one .

 

We had a nice Diwali and this time Anshita made a huge Rangoli on her own . I just helped her fill the colors . It is not easy because the substance is a powdery like fine granular and should be used pinch by pinch to fil l. What's important is that she patiently sat for almost two hours and completed . She will turn 11 in December.

During the day

 

At night, when the lamp is lit

Although, the Diwali story relates to Lord Rama, but on this day we worship Goddess Laxmi who represents wealth . As a symbol for welcoming Goddess, a Rangoli is drawn outside the doorstep.

Hope you enjoyed these images :)

Have a happy weekend!!
Preeti